"are we there yet? yes we are."

when do kids lose this ability to know if you're there yet?  because my kid didn't have it and now she has it and i'm guessing by the time she's three she will have lost it again.

did you follow all of that?

seriously, when kids are newborns they have no clue.  about anything.  they're awake, they're asleep, they're eating, they're asleep, they're pooping, they're asleep, they're burping, they're asleep.  all while they have no clue what's going on.  this described my kid for the first few weeks of her life.  then i could tell she knew day from night... her first clue.  then she lost her ability to FALL asleep while we were out and about and things were going on.  then she lost her ability to STAY asleep while we were out and about.  and so things continue because she's constantly changing and i'm just trying to keep up.

well, two weeks ago was the first time baby didn't fall asleep on the way to church.  and then for the next 4 hours she was awake, with the exception of a 15 minute catnap.  ask me why is was 15 minutes, well, it was because sacrament meeting ended and somehow she could just TELL.  then after church she slept in the car while we drove to a friend's house... for 15 minutes until we got there and then she woke up.  fast forward to that saturday (don't worry, i'm sure the week was amazingly fun... i just don't remember it at all) when baby was partying all afternoon and fell asleep on the way to a bbq at a friend's house.  as soon as honey turned off the car, you better believe her eyes boinged open.  and then remember how she was awake the whole time we were at the stanford football game and she slept as i nursed her while we were walking home?  remember how she woke up as SOON as we got home?  it's not like i sat down.  i mean, i was still walking around the apartment.  BUT SHE KNEW.

HOW DO KIDS KNOW?  newborns have no clue.  they're asleep or not asleep and don't care where they are.  and three year olds... although they care where they are, they have no clue when they've arrived someplace and are known for the notorious "are we there yet?" on repeat for hours on end.  but my kid is tucked nicely in the middle (well, maybe not the middle, but definitely somewhere in between) and KNOWS full well when we're there yet.  she doesn't need to ask.  sometimes if i wonder if we're there yet, i'll just look at baby girl and if here eyes are closed, i know we're not there yet.  if her eyes are open, then we're definitely there.  and if i SEE her eyes go from closed to open, then i know that we've JUST ARRIVED.  like at that very second.

so anyways, i know you're all smarter and more experienced and knowledgeable than i am.   

ENLIGHTEN ME. 

when kids are supposed to be asking "are we there yet?" why is my kid answering "YES WE ARE"?